The lives of people in the communities of the borderlands of Coastal West Africa are not bound by formal lines on a map. Rather, these communities create and depend on complex cross-border socio-economic activities and networks, which are increasingly threatened by violent extremist organisations and state responses to these groups. These efforts, if not managed properly, could engender further expansion of violent extremists.
This research project aims to inform more holistic, conflict-sensitive programming that facilitates integrated security, development, and diplomatic responses to fragility risks. It investigates how people conduct trade in Coastal West Africa’s borderlands and how instability at the border impacts cross-border trade and livelihoods.
The report draws on mixed-methods research, combining qualitative and quantitative field research conducted in the borderlands of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Togo.
The report comprises a summary chapter and four chapters, each focused on the fieldwork from a particular area of the borderlands of Coastal West Africa.
Summary chapter: explaining the research methodology, summarising the main findings from across all chapters, and offering considerations for policy and programming responses
Chapter 1: Northern Ghana, northern Togo, and southern Burkina Faso border areas
Chapter 2: Northern Côte d’Ivoire and Ghanaian border region
Chapter 3: Northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso border region